Hurt me
Next morning.
A pale wash of early sunlight filtered through the tall curtains, painting the bedroom in a soft golden haze.
Maya's eyes slowly fluttered open.
For a few seconds, she lay still, her breathing uneven, as if her body remembered the night before even when her mind didn't want to. Then she pushed herself up, strands of her hair falling messily over her face.
Her gaze instinctively moved to the other side of the bed.
Empty.
Atharva wasn't there.
A long breath slipped out of her chest - quiet, shaky, conflicted. Relief... mixed with something far heavier.
Without wasting another second, she got out of bed, quickly freshened up, and dressed. Her movements were calm on the outside... but there was a faint stiffness in her shoulders.
Within minutes, she was walking downstairs.
The moment her feet touched the last step, she paused.
The hall was... silent.
Unnaturally silent.
No morning chatter.
No familiar voices.
No sign of the family.
Only a few servants moved quietly around the space, their heads lowered, their movements unusually cautious - as if the air itself was under warning.
A faint unease crawled up Maya's spine.
Her brows pulled together slightly as her eyes scanned the hall again. Then she started walking toward one of the servants-
Suddenly-
A man's scream ripped through the air from outside.
Sharp.
Raw.
Full of pain.
Maya froze mid-step.
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs.
She hurried toward the main door and looked outside - but from there, nothing was clearly visible.
Then the scream came again.
Louder.
More desperate.
And instantly-
A cold realization struck her.
Farmhouse.
For a brief second, she stood rooted in place, hesitation flickering across her face.
Then her feet started moving.
Fast.
Almost involuntarily.
As she approached, the scene ahead slowly came into focus-
And Maya stopped breathing.
Near the farmhouse, a man lay sprawled on the ground, his body twitching weakly.
Several bodyguards stood in a tight circle around him, their faces blank, unmoved.
And right beside the man-
Atharva sat on a chair.
Calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
One leg crossed slightly forward... his shoe pressing firmly against the man's chest as if he were nothing more than dirt under his feet.
A little distance away stood Rajvendra, Veer, and Dhruv - close enough to witness everything clearly, yet deliberately keeping their space.Because obviously they were not allowed to go there..
Maya's eyes widened in pure shock.
Her pulse began to race.
Slowly... almost without realizing... she started walking toward the farmhouse.
Just then-
Veer's eyes caught her movement.
His expression immediately tightened.
He quickly stepped forward and blocked her path.
"Where are you going?"
Maya's voice came out thin, strained with dread.
"What... what is Atharva doing? Who is that man?"
Rajvendra and Dhruv both turned sharply at her voice.
Veer's tone dropped, urgent and firm.
"Please go back inside."
"But who is he?" Maya insisted, her confusion now laced with fear.
Rajvendra spoke, his voice heavy with warning.
"Maya. Stay inside. Do you see Suman and Nidhi here? You shouldn't be here either."
Dhruv added quietly, but seriously,
"Please, bhabhi... you won't be able to watch this."
Maya stared at them, shaken.
But her eyes... betrayed her.
They drifted back to Atharva.
And in the very next second-
Atharva pulled out a knife.
What happened next was so fast... so brutal... that Maya's breath completely left her lungs.
He drove the knife into the man.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Fast. Precise. Merciless.
Maya's scream tore out of her throat before she could stop it.
Her hands flew to her mouth as her entire body began to tremble violently.
But the damage was done.
Atharva's head snapped up.
Slowly.Deliberately.His gaze locked directly onto her.Cold. Sharp.Predatory.
Rajvendra exhaled in frustration.
"I told you to go... but you didn't listen."
Veer stepped closer to Maya, his voice low.
"Come. Let's go."
But Maya couldn't move.Couldn't breathe.
Because Atharva was still looking at her.
And now she could see it clearly-
His hands...His shirt...Even the edge of his jaw...Were smeared with fresh, glistening blood.
Veer grabbed Maya's arm gently but firmly, his voice low and urgent.
"Please... you need to leave. Bhai absolutely hates noise."
Before Maya could even react-
Atharva's thunderous voice ripped through the air.
"Stay away from her."
Veer froze.
Actual fear flashed across his face.
In the very next second, he immediately stepped back, putting distance between himself and Maya.
Atharva slowly tilted his head, his blood-streaked face terrifyingly calm.
"Come here, biwi."
Rajvendra stepped forward instinctively. "Atharva, this-"
Atharva didn't even look at him.
"I am talking to my wife."
The finality in his tone was enough.
Rajvendra fell silent.
Atharva's voice rose again, sharp as a whip.
"I said... come."
Maya's feet felt like stone, but she still moved.
Slowly.
Hesitantly.
Her lashes were lowered, trembling. Her lips quivered faintly as she walked toward him, each step heavier than the last.
When she finally reached him, she stopped right in front of his chair, standing stiffly, fear written all over her face.
Atharva's eyes dragged over her from head to toe.
Slow. Measuring. Possessive.
Then, without breaking eye contact-
"Get out. Everybody."
The command dropped like a blade.
Within seconds, the bodyguards began clearing the area.
Veer hesitated near the exit, muttering under his breath to Dhruv,
"Yaar... we shouldn't leave them alone."
Dhruv exhaled quietly. "And who exactly has the courage to argue with bhai right now?"
Neither of them had an answer.
They both walked inside with rajvendra..
Now-
Only Atharva.
Only Maya.
Only the metallic smell of blood thick in the morning air.
Suddenly-
Atharva grabbed Maya's wrist and yanked her down into his lap.
Maya gasped softly, her body going rigid.
Her horrified eyes drifted toward the man on the ground.
He was barely breathing.
His body was soaked in blood... twitching weakly.
Atharva leaned close to Maya's ear, his breath warm but his voice ice-cold.
"I really don't like noises during my work."
A pause.
"Then why did you scream, biwi?"
Maya's voice shook badly.
"I... I didn't know you were-"
Before she could finish-
Atharva shoved the knife into her trembling hand and tightened his grip over her fingers.
"Stab him."
Maya's eyes blew wide open.
"N-No... I can't!"
Atharva looked at her once.
Just once.
Then-
His hand clamped over hers.And he drove the knife forward.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Fast. Brutal. Unforgiving.
Maya's eyes slammed shut as a broken sound escaped her throat.
Warm blood splattered across her face.
Her hands.Her clothes.
Her breathing turned ragged, panicked - but Atharva didn't stop.
Even when the man's body went completely still...Even when life had clearly left him...
Atharva kept stabbing - his grip locked around Maya's hand, his gaze fixed not on the corpse...
...but on her.
As if he was bleeding his anger out through someone else's body.
Finally-
His eyes flicked down.The man wasn't moving..Atharva released her.Maya's eyes flew open.
The knife slipped from her fingers and clattered loudly onto the ground.
She stumbled back-
And immediately bent forward, vomiting violently onto the side of the gravel.
Her whole body shook uncontrollably.
The blood. The smell. The sight.
It had crawled under her skin.
Atharva leaned back in his chair, watching her quietly... almost thoughtfully.
Then he snapped his fingers.
Within seconds, bodyguards rushed in, efficiently lifting the dead body and carrying it away as if it were nothing more than routine cleanup.
One of them handed Atharva a towel.
Atharva wiped his hands slowly...But his eyes never left Maya.
Not even for a second.
Maya, pale and disoriented, sank down onto the ground, clutching her head as if the world around her was spinning too fast.
Her breathing was uneven. Her mind blank.
Without warning-
Atharva picked up a water bottle and poured it directly over her head.
Cold water drenched her instantly.
It streamed down her hair... her face... washing away streaks of blood little by little.
The moment Atharva dropped down on one knee in front of her, the air itself seemed to tighten.
His voice came out low but commanding.
"Drink it."
Maya didn't even look at him. Her fingers trembled slightly as she grabbed the bottle and, in one desperate gulp, finished all the water. Her throat burned, but she didn't stop.
Atharva watched her carefully.
Slowly, he reached forward and pushed her wet hair to one side, exposing her pale face. With cold precision, he began wiping the remaining blood stains from her skin with the towel.
His voice hardened.
"Never come in the middle of my work again. Okay?"
Maya's head snapped up.
Fear was still there... but now anger burned just as fiercely in her eyes.
"You can never see anyone else's pain, can you?" Her voice shook, but the words were sharp. "You'll brutally kill anyone without even thinking what will happen to his family... his friends..."
Atharva's jaw flexed.
"You know," he said coolly, "this is the same man who took your pictures yesterday... and threatened me." His eyes darkened. "How could I let him go?"
Maya immediately shot back, her voice rising,
"You could have handed him to the police! Everything is already under your control anyway. The law would have punished him!"
For a second-Atharva just stared at her.
Then he laughed.
A low, dangerous laugh.
"The law?" he repeated, almost amused.
He leaned slightly closer, eyes gleaming with cold authority.
"This is Atharva Raisinghani's kingdom."
A pause.
"And here... there is only one law."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Mine."
Maya froze for a heartbeat, then anger finally overpowered her fear.
She stood up abruptly.
"I really wish," she said through clenched teeth, "that someone hurts you like this someday... then you'll realize what someone else's pain feels like."
And without waiting-
She turned and started walking away.
Behind her, Atharva's sharp voice cracked through the air.
"Maya. Stop."
But Maya didn't stop.
Her heels struck the marble floor as she marched straight toward the hall.
Thak... thak... thak...
The sound echoed loudly.
The moment she entered, every head turned toward her. Rajvendra,Suman veer and dhruv were all watching her...The tension in the mansion shifted instantly.
Before anyone could speak-
Atharva's furious voice thundered from behind.
"When I told you to stop, why didn't you listen?"
Maya spun around, eyes blazing.
"Why?" she shot back. "What now? Want to kill someone else? Or insult someone again?" She spread her arms slightly. "Tell me. I'm standing right here."
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
All eyes locked on them.
Atharva walked forward slowly until he stood right in front of her.
His voice dropped, dangerously calm.
"What did you just say there...?"
A step closer.
"You really wish someone would stab me?"
Maya lifted her chin.
"Yes." Her voice was firm despite the tremor in her chest. "As much pain as you've given others... you deserve the same."
For a long moment-
Atharva just stared at her.
Then he moved closer... so close their breaths almost mingled.
His voice turned dark. Intimate. Deadly.
"In this entire world," he murmured, eyes locked onto hers,
"there is only one person who can hurt me."
A pause.
"That's you."
Maya's teeth clenched in fury.
"Then I really wish I could do that."
Atharva's gaze slowly traced her face.
And then-
A slow, devilish smile spread across his lips.
"If it's your wish..." he whispered, voice dripping with danger,
"then it should be fulfilled."
The moment the words left his lips, Atharva stepped away from her.
Before anyone could process his next move, he walked to the dining table... picked up a knife... and turned back.
A sharp wave of unease spread across the hall.
Rajvendra immediately stepped forward, panic rising in his voice.
"Atharva... what are you doing? Maya said in anger... please put that knife down."
Veer's face had already gone pale.
"Bhai... please... what are you doing?"
Atharva's head snapped toward them, fury blazing in his eyes.
"This is between me and my wife," he roared."No one else will speak!"
The entire hall fell dead silent.
Then-
He walked straight back to Maya... stopping exactly in front of her.
Maya instinctively took a small step back, her voice shaking.
"Wh... what are you doing? Why did you bring that knife?"
Atharva didn't answer.
His eyes remained locked onto hers as he slowly took her hands... and pressed the knife into her trembling grip.
Then-
His fingers wrapped tightly around her hands, trapping them.
His voice dropped to a dark whisper.
"You said you want to hurt me, stab me..."
A dangerous pause.
"Go on."
Maya's eyes widened in shock.
Her heartbeat slammed wildly against her ribs.
Around them, everyone stood frozen... terrified... watching the scene unfold like a nightmare they couldn't stop.
Maya stared at him in disbelief.
"What rubbish?!"
Atharva's brow lifted slightly.
"Rubbish?" he repeated softly.
And then-
Before anyone could react-Still holding her knife-filled hands-
He dragged the blade in a long, deliberate line across his own chest.
Gasps exploded across the hall.
Maya froze.
Her eyes locked onto the knife... onto the fresh blood that instantly began flowing down his chest.
Atharva still hadn't let go of her hands.
Warm blood slowly trailed downward... staining his shirt... dripping toward the floor.
Rajvendra finally broke, rushing forward in horror.
"Atharva-!"
Atharva's head snapped toward him, eyes blazing with lethal warning.
"No one will take even one step toward me!"
Rajvendra halted mid-step, breathing hard.
"But you're bleeding-"
"I said no one!!" Atharva thundered.
The authority in his voice was absolute.
Rajvendra froze where he stood.
Veer and Dhruv exchanged helpless, shaken looks... but neither of them dared move.Suman was standing with trembling hands and watching him only.
And in the center of it all-
Maya stood trapped in Atharva's grip...
Staring at the blood on his chest...
Her own hands still locked around the knife he had forced her to hold.
Atharva's gaze slowly shifted to Maya.
She was still frozen in shock.
Her mind had gone completely blank.
What was happening in front of her... what people were saying around her... everything felt distant... muffled... unreal.
Atharva's lips curved slightly.
"Want to do more, biwi?"
The word finally pulled Maya back to her senses.
She looked up at him, breathing uneven.
Then suddenly-
She jerked her hands free from his grip... stepped back... and flung the knife far away across the floor.
It clattered loudly in the heavy silence.
Atharva watched her, head slightly tilted.
"What happened, biwi?" he said coolly.
"You were the one who said you wanted to hurt me... and now when I'm asking you to... why are you backing away?"
Maya lifted her eyes to him.
For one long second...Her anger burned brighter than her fear.
And then-
Smack!
Her palm landed hard across Atharva's face.
The sound echoed sharply through the hall.
Everyone froze. Every mouth fell open in pure shock. Even the air seemed to stop moving.
Atharva's face turned slightly with the impact.
Slowly... very slowly... he lifted his eyes back to Maya.
She was still glaring at him... chest rising and falling... fury blazing in her eyes.
Suman stepped forward anxiously.
"Maya beta, this-"
Maya cut her off without even looking at her.
"I slapped my husband. Not someone else."
Her voice was sharp... unshaken.
"And if you had slapped your son like this when he needed it... his condition wouldn't be like this today."
Silence.
Suman went completely quiet.
Maya didn't spare anyone another glance.
Still burning with anger, she grabbed Atharva's wrist firmly... and dragged him toward the stairs.
"Come."
Atharva didn't resist.
Behind them, everyone stood rooted to the floor... watching in stunned disbelief as Maya pulled the most feared man in the house away like he was the one being disciplined.
Suman whispered worriedly, almost to herself,
"He's already injured... and on top of that, she slapped him..."
Rajvendra folded his arms, a faint, impressed smirk tugging at his lips.
"At last," he murmured, watching them disappear upstairs,
"the daughter-in-law we needed."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Leaving behind a hall still heavy with shock... and a storm that was clearly far from over.
In the room-
Maya pushed Atharva down onto the couch a little harder than necessary. Without wasting a second, she moved to the drawer, pulled out the first aid box, and placed it on the table with a sharp thud.
Atharva just watched her...completely relaxed... eyes fixed on her face.
Maya avoided his gaze.
Without a word, she started unbuttoning his shirt and slid it off his shoulders. The angry red wound across his chest made her fingers pause for the briefest second... but the next moment, her expression hardened again.
She dipped the cotton into Dettol, then instinctively brought it near her lips and blew gently to reduce the sting-
Suddenly-
Atharva caught her wrist.
"Apply it like that," he said calmly. "I don't feel pain."
Maya's eyes snapped up.
She glared at him.
Then, without warning, she pressed the cotton straight onto his wound.
Hard.
Any normal person would have hissed in pain. Atharva didn't even flinch.
Instead... a slow, dangerous smile appeared on his lips as he kept looking at her.
Maya's jaw tightened.
"Fine. If he wanted to act invincible..."inside maya...
She dipped the cotton again... and again pressed it firmly onto the cut - this time while holding his gaze deliberately, almost challengingly.
The antiseptic burned sharply.
But Atharva just kept watching her... amused... intrigued.
The room filled with thick, electric silence.
Her eyes - blazing with anger.
His - dark with quiet obsession.
Cotton. Press. Clean.
Cotton. Press. Clean.
Neither of them looked away.
After a while, Maya finally finished cleaning the wound. She applied the cream carefully - her touch now controlled but still stiff with anger - and wrapped the bandage neatly around his chest.
Then she stepped back slightly.
"Take this antiseptic and painkiller."
Atharva leaned back lazily.
"I don't need it. It's just a small wound. My body can handle-"
Maya slowly closed her eyes... clearly losing the last thread of patience.
When she opened them again, they were cold.
She took out the tablets in one hand and picked up the glass of water in the other.
"Open your fucking mouth."
Atharva's brow twitched slightly.
"I said-"
Before he could finish-
Maya slammed the glass back onto the table, grabbed his hair firmly, and forcefully shoved the tablets into his mouth.
Then she pushed the glass of water to his lips. Atharva had no choice but to swallow. It wasn't that he was scared... it wasn't that he couldn't do anything. But seeing this side of Maya felt strangely pleasing to him. Maybe that's why he simply kept watching her without saying a word."
For the first time in a long while...
The great Atharva Raisinghani was speechless.
And Maya... was still fuming.
..........
""
Hey readers! Today I'm going to upload three more chapters after this one... which means you'll be getting a total of four chapters in a single day.
The reason is that, due to some circumstances, I won't be able to upload any chapters for the next two days. But after that, I'll continue the series again as usual.
So I really hope you all read every chapter, vote for them, and leave your comments to tell me what you think. Your support and feedback truly mean a lot to me! I'll be waiting to hear from you all. ??